This year, 25 young Israeli Arabs have been murdered in communities from the Negev to the North. Two others have been fatally shot by the police or other security forces. The problem of violence and illegal weapons in the Arab sector isn't going anywhere.
It's easy for the government and the police to blame Arab society and say it doesn't cooperate, as if civilians are supposed to be police agents or supervisors. It's infuriating the way the problem is being ignored. After police were shot at in Tira, the cabinet met and the ministers rushed to put out messages, rightfully. But when dozens of Arab civilians are murdered and weapons are sold illegally in broad daylight in Arab communities – silence.
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The serious crime rate, gun violence, protection rackets, and criminal takeover of Arab public spaces are prompting tens of thousands of Arab families, mostly from the middle class, to move to nearby Jewish communities. It's a process that has been underway for years in towns like Karmiel, Harish, Acre, Nahariya, Nof Hagalil, Beersheba, and even Rosh Haayin. Crime is linked to poverty and the dire socioeconomic situation in communities that have been neglected, but the most painful problem is the one of personal safety, given how ridiculously easy it is to obtain weapons and use them to get even with rivals, even over a parking space.
The police, despite its efforts, hasn't been able to come up with a thorough, long-term solution. It's time to say the harshest words Arabs can hear: Bring in the Shin Bet. There is no doubt that in the minds of the Arab citizens of Israel, the Shin Bet security agency is seen as a brutal, scary organization whose long arms reach into every aspect of our lives. The historical baggage is considerable, and everything is known (or not). But the Arab public also knows – not always to its benefit – how effective the Shin Bet is, and in the current situation, the desire to rid our streets of guns could overcome the suspicion and the difficulties.
The Shin Bet has tools, methods, and the ability that for many reasons the police do not, and to tell the truth, it has an advantage in an Arabic-speaking environment. No one is kidding themselves: it's an unusual call, but what is happening in Arab communities has gotten completely out of hand.
We can assume that the Shin Bet would prefer to keep itself isolated from the police. It's also likely that parts of the Arab public will feel as if they've been labeled "enemies," and obviously, a considerable part of the Arab leadership would prefer to voice its traditional objections, maybe because it's easy for them to use the police as a punching bag.
But if I were an MK or a mayor, I would be issuing a call for the Shin Bet to come into Arab communities. The way the residents see it, they're already there, all the time. All that is needed is to change their mandate or give them new authorities. Instead of them working against us, the residents will say, let them work on our behalf. Who is in favor of getting rid of crime?
Let the Shin Bet defeat crime
Israeli Arabs already think the shadowy agency is omnipresent, so let them work on our behalf to stem to out-of-control gun violence in our communities.
Jalal Bana
This year, 25 young Israeli Arabs have been murdered in communities from the Negev to the North. Two others have been fatally shot by the police or other security forces. The problem of violence and illegal weapons in the Arab sector isn't going anywhere. It's easy for the government and the police to blame Arab society and say it doesn't cooperate, as if civilians are supposed to be police agents or supervisors. It's infuriating the way the problem is being ignored. After police were shot at in Tira, the cabinet met and the ministers rushed to put out messages, rightfully. But when dozens of Arab civilians are murdered and weapons are sold illegally in broad daylight in Arab communities – silence.
The serious crime rate, gun violence, protection rackets, and criminal takeover of Arab public spaces are prompting tens of thousands of Arab families, mostly from the middle class, to move to nearby Jewish communities. It's a process that has been underway for years in towns like Karmiel, Harish, Acre, Nahariya, Nof Hagalil, Beersheba, and even Rosh Haayin. Crime is linked to poverty and the dire socioeconomic situation in communities that have been neglected, but the most painful problem is the one of personal safety, given how ridiculously easy it is to obtain weapons and use them to get even with rivals, even over a parking space.
The police, despite its efforts, hasn't been able to come up with a thorough, long-term solution. It's time to say the harshest words Arabs can hear: Bring in the Shin Bet. There is no doubt that in the minds of the Arab citizens of Israel, the Shin Bet security agency is seen as a brutal, scary organization whose long arms reach into every aspect of our lives. The historical baggage is considerable, and everything is known (or not). But the Arab public also knows – not always to its benefit – how effective the Shin Bet is, and in the current situation, the desire to rid our streets of guns could overcome the suspicion and the difficulties.
The Shin Bet has tools, methods, and the ability that for many reasons the police do not, and to tell the truth, it has an advantage in an Arabic-speaking environment. No one is kidding themselves: it's an unusual call, but what is happening in Arab communities has gotten completely out of hand.
We can assume that the Shin Bet would prefer to keep itself isolated from the police. It's also likely that parts of the Arab public will feel as if they've been labeled "enemies," and obviously, a considerable part of the Arab leadership would prefer to voice its traditional objections, maybe because it's easy for them to use the police as a punching bag.
But if I were an MK or a mayor, I would be issuing a call for the Shin Bet to come into Arab communities. The way the residents see it, they're already there, all the time. All that is needed is to change their mandate or give them new authorities. Instead of them working against us, the residents will say, let them work on our behalf. Who is in favor of getting rid of crime?
